Former Brewers GM just got his bluff called midway through big-city makeover

The early moves of the 2025-26 MLB offseason have favored National League contenders who are searching for an easier path to postseason. It started with Josh Naylor, the biggest free agent bat to sign so far this offseason, remaining in the American League after re-signing with the Seattle Mariners, whom he was traded to by the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline.

The St. Louis Cardinals sent a talented starting pitcher in Sonny Gray to the AL after agreeing to a deal with the Boston Red Sox last week. Then, just before Thanksgiving, Dylan Cease, formerly of the San Diego Padres, reportedly agreed to a massive seven-year, $210 million contract with the defending AL champions, the Toronto Blue Jays. Pair those moves with the signing of Ryan Helsley, a shut-down reliever who spent the first seven seasons of his career in the NL, by the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend, and the offseason has been dominated by the AL so far.

The NL contender who has executed the biggest move of the offseason to this point is the New York Mets, now under the guidance of former Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns. Stearns sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien. The deal resulted in speculation that the Mets are clearing their future payroll and a spot in the outfield in order to sign Kyle Tucker this offseason; despite Semien having the higher salary in 2026, he has less money remaining on his contract than Nimmo does.

It's clear that Stearns and the Mets are looking to shake things up this offseason, after their expensive roster couldn't crack the postseason in 2025. With Pete Alonso entering free agency for the second consecutive offseason, and closer Edwin Díaz searching for a big payday this winter, Stearns and company have some major decisions to make in regards to what positions they prioritize this winter.

New York's front office was reportedly trying to add financial flexibility by shipping away one of their veteran starting pitchers, but said pitcher called his organization's bluff, saying he would rather remain with the Mets, while holding a no-trade clause that allows him to deny deals with 10 selected teams.

Kodai Senga throws wrench in David Stearns' offseason plans by saying he prefers to stay in New York amid trade rumors

After Kodai Senga's first year in MLB, an All-Star 2023 campaign that saw him finish 7th in NL Cy Young voting and 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year race, the Japanese right-hander looked like he would be a fixture in New York's rotation for at least the five seasons that his contract guaranteed. However, after a 2024 season lost to injury and an inconsistent 2025 campaign, Senga's $28 million that he's owed over the next two seasons looks less like a steal and more like a way for Stearns and the Mets to encourage potential suitors of his viability as a trade candidate, given the free agent prices are still much higher than Senga's $14 million average annual value.

An added piece to the puzzle is the emergence of three talented starting pitchers in the Mets rotation, each of whom got a first taste of the big leagues in 2025. With Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong all emerging as inexpensive, controllable rotation options, Stearns is thinking back to his days in Milwaukee, when he was able to construct one of the best rotations in baseball at an impressively low cost. Moving Senga this offseason would not only give more opportunities to the three names mentioned above, but it would also give Stearns and his team some extra financial wiggle room to pursue the big-name free agents that they are constantly targeting.

In an ideal world for Stearns, he would trade Senga this offseason, as his team was reportedly interested in doing so earlier this offseason. However, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Senga's preference is to remain in New York for the 2026 season, and with a modified no-trade clause in his contract, his decision could significantly impact Stearns' offseason plans. All hope isn't lost for Stearns as Senga's no-trade clause, which was a full no-trade clause through the first three seasons of his contract, has shifted to just a 10-team no-trade clause this offseason, meaning the 33-year-old starter can refuse a trade to 10 specific teams.

Holding on to Senga for at least another season doesn't prevent the Mets and their free-spending owner, Steve Cohen, from signing a top-tier free agent like Tucker, which would likely be the Brewers’ preferred outcome, considering the alternative appears to be the former Cubs outfielder landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, should a bidding war for Tucker commence, the Mets might be less likely to outbid their West Coast counterparts with Senga's contract still on the books. So, in a roundabout way, Brewers fans should be rooting for their former president, Stearns, to pull off a trade of his veteran starting pitcher this offseason.